Electric switching mechanism.



E. M. FITZ.

ELECTRIC SWITCHING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION HLED MAR.5,1913.

1,182,080.' Patented my 9, 1916.

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E. M. FITZ.

ELECTRIC SWHCHING MECHANISM. APPLICATsoN man MAR. 5,'1913.

Patented May 9,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ERVIN M. Fr'rz,

ELECTRIC SWITCHING MECHANISM.

0F COLUMBUS,

Spec'icatiomof Letters Patent.

OHIO.

Patented May 9,1916.

Application med March 5, 1913. serial Nd. 751,996.l

To all lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ERVIN M. Fi'iz, `a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain Improvements infElectric Switching Mechanism, of which the following isa specification. f

Myinvention is an electric switching mechanism .,comprising, inl itsl preferred form, journaled devices having contacts and containinga tluid adapted for electrically connecting and disconnecting said contacts in different positions of said devices, in combination with solenoids having contacts cooperating with contacts aforesaid to control various-circuits and plunger mechanism by which said devices are oscillated to vary the relations of said contacts, the Solenoid c rcuits being controlled by electrically operatedimeans adapted for opening and closing'theln lin alternatlon and thereby etfect'-4 ing the 'oscillation of said devices.

A particular application of my improvements is found in lighting systems involving the-usel of a storage battery connected witha generator adapted to be operated by the axleofl ya car.- t

vv'Itis anleadingy object of' my invention to improvelighting' and other systems in -which a vgenerator"and storage battery are used in conjunction, byr providing etlicient means for opening' thefield circuits of' the generator `when running above a certain critical speed andwv'hen the battery connected with said` generator has been charged to the desired degree, as also to close the field circuits when the battery has reached a predetermineddischarge point. A desideratum effected `isthe `prevention of arcingr between slowly separatingcontacts used in the system .byautomatically breakingr the circuits throrighilsaid Icont-acts'prior to their separation."' f myThe'^-eharzu'teristic features and advantagesot my improvements illinore fully appear,` by`,ref ere'nce to the"followingdescription and the` ac lompanyin-f in'ilh'lsti'a'tion thereof'.

In'the drawings, Figure Al is a topplau 'View o'f'f'al` switch embodying' Vi'in'proverlichte of' myinvention;Figi is a liin glitu'dn'alj sec al ""v'iew of the same 'ta ke ings:

#transf ver (ilyY through tlie oscillating ba rrels; Figi longitudinal axes of the'solenoids transversely to the oscillating barrels; and Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of my improvements applied to train lighting. The apparatus, as illustrated in the drawings, comprises'a double solenoid mercury switch having the coverl 1 fixed to the base 2 to which is fixed the solenoid coils 3 and 3 adapted for reciprocating a plunger' consisting of the ends'fi and 4a (movable in the respectivewcoils) and the intermediatc'circular rack 4", the plunger havingafliand4c fixed thereto and movable in the slot' 1 of the cover. Bearings 5 and 5, fixed to the base 2 by bolts 6 and 6a and 'holding the respective coils 3 and 3", support the respective contact brushes 7 and 7, Sa'nd 8,9 and 9 and 1() and 10, Barrels 11 and 1 2 are journaled on the respectivearbors '13 and 11 which are fixed to the base 2', the barrels having the respective racks 11 and 12*v vengagingthe rack 4b. The barrel 1ll is pro vided with the circular-contacts `11 which engage the respective brushes 7 and l and have the studs 11c extending into the barrels chamber 11d which contains tlie"nie1'c1ii-y 11; the barrel is also provided with the circular .contacts .l1t which engage thel re-A spect-ive brushes 9 and 9fand h: "tliestiuls 11g which extend into them'ercl .,f chayiubcr l1, The barrel 12 is provided'with the circular contacts 12 which ciligage the respective brushes 8 and 8 and have. the studs 12 which extend int/o the barrels chamber 12d containing the mercury 12e; this barrel is also provided with the circular contacts 12' which engage the respective brushes 10 and 10a and are connected with the studs 12g which extend into the barrels chamber 12h containingr the mercury 1T. ft will be understoot'l that the bodies of the barrels containing thecontacts, studs, chambers and mercury are-inade of insulating material'` or so that the necessary insulation is ett'ected 100 rl`he ampere Jhoiur "nieter- 13 yhas-thc'coiitact points l-Bf'aiidfl" connected by tli 'A eiec' tivefcondutdrs i I uve-iranes t marasma the 'correspending-1 ciitac These c'ontz( 'i 11" zalterii'atf'tl iraefnaeie 16 and 16a with theconductor 22. hand 13c adapted the respective pointsg13an 13" and connecting them with`the conductor A13e of the meter.- The conductor 13? isl connected by a conductor 17 with the battery 18 and by a conductor 19c vwith t 1e solenoid coil 19, which' isconnected by the conductor 19 with 'the'ge'nerator 20, and the battery and gen- .crater are connected by the conductor 24. )The fields of the generator are connected by -the conductors 25and 26 with the contacts 8 and4 8 and by the conductors 27 and 28 with the contacts 10 and 10a. The conductor 19 isl adapted to be conwinected with the lamp or work circuit conductor 21 through the solenoid coil 19", the resistance 33 and the contacts 30 and 32 the conductor 29 on the lwhen connected by solenoid plunger 1 9", which takes yplace The meter has a movable when the generator 1s working and sufiicient current passes through thecoil 19a tomove the'plungcr 19b positlon shown in Fig. 5. When, by reasonof a reduction in the current, the plunger19h causes the conductor 29 to connect contacts 30 and 31, the

rectly connected with the conductor 17 by the conductor 34, the resistance 33 being cut l out of circuit. The conductor v21 is connected with the conductor v22 through the lamps 23and the conductor 22 is connected by the conductors 16 and 16?i in circuit with the coils 3 and 3a and theconducto'r 24 con- '35 necting the battery 18 and generator v20. l/Vhen the generator 20 is working and lcharging the battery 18, current fiows from the generator 20 through the conductors 19,

' Y 19, 19, 13 and 17 to batteryv 18 and thence 40 through conductor 21, and through the field circuits comprising the conductors 25 and 26 (connected by their terminal brushes 8 and 8", through the contacts 12", studs 12, and mercury 12) and the conductors 27 and 28 (connected by their terminal brushes 10 and 10 through the contacts 12', studs 12g and mercury 12), the mechanism being in the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5. As soon as the hand 13c'is carried to the point 5o 13', by current passing through the meter 13 in the circuit containing the conductors 19 and 17, a shunt circuit is completed, from the conductor 19c through the conductoi-s 13, 13C, 13a, 1i, 7a, 11b, 11e, 11e, 7, 3', 3, 16 and 22 to 21. The solenoid coil 3, being thus excited, draws the plunger lend 4 into it and revolves the barrels 11 and 12 to the'position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thus breaking its own circuit to the meter 13 by removing the mercury 11 from the studs 11 and opening the field circuits by removing the mercury 12'e from the studs 12c and the mercury 12l from the studs 12g. The

mercury 11"' now connects the studs 11g and, 66 through the corresponding contacts 11, the

for makin Contact lwith.

.through the conductors 13e. '136,

an conductor 29 to the' conductor 21 is di! `trol the terminal brushes 9 and 9a, whereby the connections for'the solenoid coil 3a are set, the circuit thereofbeing completed vwhen the hand 13' touches the point 13b. The geny erator is now idle, the batteries are dis- 70 charging, and the meter hand 13c is moving toward the point- 13", and, when contact is made therewith, a shunt circuit is completed andl current flows from the conductor 17 13b, 15,` 9a, 1 11', 11g, 1131122, 111, 9, 3, 3a, 1ca and 22 to 24. The excited Solenoid 3a now draws the end 4 of the plunger into itvand revolves the barrels 11 and 12 to the position shown in Figs'. l and 5, thus breaking its -80 own circuit to the meter 13 through the. mercury 11e by removing the latter from the studs 11g, resetting the circuit through the solenoid 3 by causing the mercury 11e` to connect the studs 11, and completing the 85 field circuits by causing the mercury 12i to connect the studs 12g and the mercury 12ev to connect the studs 12"'.

By means of the hand l, the plunger connected therewith can be reciprocated manually to operate the mercuryY switch and congeneratoi"s field circuits,` the position of the hand also indicating thefstatus of the apparatus.

' It will be understood that current is `low- 95 ing through the work or lamp CirCuit,C0mprsing the conductors 21 and 22, whether the generator is working or idle; and that the connection is made from the conductor 19 t0 the conductor 21 through the coil 19al 100 and the resistance 33 when the current strength is sufficient to move the solenoid plunger 19b so as to cause the conductor 29 to connect the conductors 30 and A32, while the resistance 33 is short circuited and the 105 connection is made through the conductors 3l and 17 when the conductor 29 connects the contacts 30 and 31 due to a reduction of current or the opening of field circuits 25`2G and 27-2S.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In' apparatus of the character described, a set of contacts, a journaled device having contacts coacting with said first named contacts, said device having a cham 115 ber containing a liquid for connecting its said contacts, a second set of contacts, a journaled device having contacts coacting with said second set of contacts, said second named device having a chamber containing a liquid for connecting its said contacts, and electromagnetic mechanism for simultaneously turning said devices in opposite directions.

2. In apparatus o f the lcharacter described, a pair of solenoid coils, a plunger disposed in and adapted to be operated by said coils, a rack on said plunger, a plu` rality of barrels having teeth thereon engaged and adapted to be operated by said rack', and means whereby one of said barrels controls the operation of said plunger, the other of said barrels having means for controlling; an electric circuit.

il. In apparatus of the character described` journaled mechanism having a plurality ot' sets of contacts, electromagnetic mechanism adapted for rotatingbr said journah-d mechanism. a set of contacts coacting with a set ot' said first named contacts, a set of cnntacts coacting with a second set ot' said first named connects, a set of contacts enacting with a third set of said first named contacts and connected with said electromagnetic mechanism. a set of contacts coacting with a fourth set of said first named contacts and connected with said electro magnetic mechanism, and means for conncctiirLr the respective contacts of each of said sets ci' contacts carried by said journalcd mechanism.

4. In apparatus yof the character described, a journaled toothed barrel having peripheral contacts, brushes adapted for en-r gaging said contacts, a conducting liquid carried by said barrel and adapted for connccting said contacts, and a solenoid having a plunger provided with a rack engaging the teeth of said barrel.

In apparatus of the character -described.y a pair of independently jonrnaled barrels each havingr contacts and containing insulating;r chambers respectively provided with a conducting liquid, the liquid in the respective chambers adapted for connecting and disconnecting respective sets of said contacts in different positions of said barrels, in combination with electrical mechanism comprising contacts adapted for coacting with respective contacts aforesaid and means for turning said barrels.

6. In apparatus of the character described, a pair of 4independently journaled barrels each having insulated peripheral contacts concentric with the axis thereof and containing insulated chambers respectively provided with a conducting liquid, the `liquid in the respective chambers adapted for electrically connecting and disconnecting respective sets of said contacts in different positions of the respective barrels, in combination with electrical mechanism coinprising contacts adapted for coaction with respective contacts aforesaid, electromagnetic mechanism electrically connected with contacts second named, and a plunger adapt ed to be reciprocated by said electro-magnetic mechanism and to oscillate said barrels.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 220th day of February, i913, in the presence of the subscribing witnesses.

ERVIN M. FITZ. Ivi tnesses W. W'. BEI-3BE,

HARRY T. PAUL. 

